The Brussels labour auditorate has launched an investigation into possible benefit fraud at the Social Services Department (OCMW) in the municipality of Anderlecht. The investigation follows a documentary made by the VRT television’s Pano that was broadcast last week. The news that an investigation has been launched first appeared in the daily ‘De Morgen’ and has since been confirmed by the labour auditorate. In last week’s Pano documentary several social workers testified about the chaos that reigns at the Anderlecht Social Services Department. Such is the extent of the issues there that hardly any checks are carried out on claimants.
Labour Auditorate opens investigation into benefit fraud at Social Services Department Anderlecht following VRT documentary
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Last week Pano exposed serious issues at Anderlecht’s local Social Services Department. Social workers are so overworked that claimants sometimes have to wait many months before their benefits are paid. Moreover, the checks designed to ensure that those that have filed a benefits claim are entitled to benefit fall by the wayside and this sometimes results in benefits being paid out to people that are not entitled to them.
The Pano document also revealed that the current and the former president of the Social Services Council in Anderlecht, both local Francophone socialist politicians, intervened in claimants’ cases.
The labour auditorate is the prosecutor’s office within the labour court. It says that its investigation concerns “all possible forms of benefit fraud”.
Last week’s Pano documentary has caused a political storm. A special hearing on the situation at Anderlecht Social Service’s Department will be held in the Federal Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 27 November). There (amongst others) the outgoing federal minister responsible for social integration and the alleviation of poverty Karine Lalieux (Francophone socialist) will face questions from MPs.